Bruce Springsteen

A 25-year-old Bruce Springsteen lived in this modest Jersey Shore cottage in 1974 and '75, and he accomplished a few important things in his time there. By the time Springsteen moved out, he had written "Born to Run," "Thunder Road," and "Backstreets."

In 2009, it went on sale for $299,000 and was bought for $280,000 by fans who wanted to prevent the home from getting razed.

The buyers were New Jersey residents Ryan DeCarolis of Lincroft, along with Kim McDermott and her older brother, Gerald Ferrara. De Carolis, who was then 28, said he would live there and was looking forward to showing the home to other fans.